SMSC

SMSC - Spiritual, Moral, Social, Cultural Education

At Elmley Castle CE First School we recognise that the personal development of pupils, spiritually, morally, socially and culturally (SMSC) plays a significant part in their ability to learn and achieve. We therefore aim to provide an education that provides pupils with opportunities to explore and develop:

their own values and beliefs,

spiritual awareness,

high standards of personal behaviour,

a positive, caring attitude towards other people,

an understanding of their social and cultural traditions

and an appreciation of the diversity and richness of the cultures.

Pupils’ spiritual development is shown by their:

beliefs, religious or otherwise, which inform their perspective on life & their interest in & respect for different people’s feelings & values

sense of enjoyment and fascination in learning about themselves, others and the world around them, including the intangible

use of imagination and creativity in their learning

willingness to reflect on their experiences

What does this look like for our pupils?

We use Christian Values each term as a focus for assemblies e.g. respect, forgiveness, truthfulness, responsibility.

The six values for the year are displayed around the school.

Our assembly programme provides opportunities for children to reflect on their beliefs, religious or otherwise

Lessons and learning opportunities are designed to promote interest and inspire our pupils

Our Religious Education programme enables children to find out about and appreciate different religions which in turn encourages them to be tolerant of the beliefs and opinions of others

Pupils’ moral development is shown by their:

ability to recognise the difference between right and wrong, and their readiness to apply this understanding in their own lives

interest in exploring, understanding of, and respect for cultural diversity and the extent to which they understand, accept, respect and celebrate diversity, as shown by their attitudes towards different religious, ethnic and socio-economic groups in the local, national and global communities

What does this look like for our pupils?

Our RE scheme of learning throughout the school encourages our children to grow in knowledge and understanding of the different world religions and how these beliefs impact on daily lives. Christianity, as the main religion of the indigenous population, is taught alongside Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism.

Celebration of festivals throughout the year e.g. Diwali, Chinese New Year, Hanukah

Use of a variety of Faith Stories in assemblies

Our curriculum offers opportunities for our children to draw upon a range of stories, art, music etc from different culture

Opportunities to create links with other schools in different countries are actively sought out by staff